Plantars Fasciitis for Dogs
Full Title: Plantars Fasciitis for Dogs
Author: Delee Baumgartner
Date of Publication: January 1, 2017
PDF: http://petmassage.com/wp-content/uploads/Plantars-Fasciitis-for-Dogs-by-Delee-Baumgartner-2013-12-30.pdf
Research Paper Text:
Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia. Your plantar fascia is a strong band of tissue like a ligament. Ligaments are bands of tough and slightly stretchy tissue that connect bones and stabilize joints. When these bands of tissue are damaged in any way, the dog will experience pain and lameness.
The plantar ligaments in canines are located in the paw. According to Distal Limb Injury 360, there are three ligaments: medial, middle, and lateral. These ligaments connect the leg to the paw. Like all ligaments, they are necessary and vital for the dog’s foot movement. When a plantar ligament ruptures (tears), a dog will exhibit lameness, swelling and when standing, will be flat-footed, as opposed to its normal stance on its toes.
A ruptured plantar ligament is going to cause lameness in a dog. When a ligament ruptured, it cannot heal itself, and so the dog is going to have trouble walking, let alone running or jumping. The best you can hope for is to move around slowly. This symptom will be obvious, and should leave no doubt that there is an injury that requires medical attention.
The paw will swell with the rupture and it will be tender to the touch. A dog with this injury will probably not want anyone touching the paw or anywhere else close to the rupture. According to Distal Limb Injury 360, the injury is most common in the middle plantar ligament, is not that painful, but it is still a serious injury that will not correct itself.
The Canadian Veterinary Journal, along with Distal Limb Injury 360, mentions that a dog with a ruptured plantar ligament will have a plantigrade stance. That means that the dog will be standing flat on its foot, and when walking, will have the heel of its foot touch the ground, like a human. Dogs normally walk on their toes, so this action is a good indicator of a rupture.
Repeated small injuries to the fascia with or without inflammation are thought to be the cause of plantar facilities. Since it is fascia, it is not supplied with good blood flow. A fascia is a structure of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels and nerves, binding some structures together, while permitting others to slide smoothly over each other.
Massage only 10% on painful area and be careful not to irritate the painful areas by going too deep or too long. For a dog, you need to see how the dog responses. If he wags his tail or holds up his paw to you, then it’s probably working. Remember to be gentle, looking for your dog’s response. Working on the hip and leg will also help increase circulation to your dog’s foot to help it heal faster. Be patient. Again be careful of working too much on the painful area because this can possibly aggravate your dog’s pain and discomfort. It’s also important for all round circulation to work on both paws. By Robert Labensart, CMT, CHT & RYT
In closing, planter’s fasciitis is very painful for your dog if not healed or properly treated. It can be assisted in healing with the help of careful massage and rest for your dog.